


Hue

by Dal_Saje



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Achromatopsia, Alternate Universe, Colors, F/F, How Do I Tag, Light Angst, Mutual Pining, Synesthesia, will be filled with color
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:33:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28797675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dal_Saje/pseuds/Dal_Saje
Summary: Joohyun lives in a monochrome world, until she meets Seungwan whose life is filled with nothing but color as a synesthete.OrJoohyun is an actress in hiatus, advised to take a vacation away in a small town in an island; where she meets Seungwan, a bookshop employee who wants to be a songwriter and somehow ends up being her landlord who's determined to show her what colors are.also here: https://youtu.be/6-zcNYLHsy0
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Son Seungwan | Wendy
Comments: 3
Kudos: 37





	1. Inizio (Beginning)

She’s blue. 

Ocean waves that crash against the shore at half past eight in the morning. Subdued. Cold. The first scent of winter in the air. Of things forgotten and aged, tucked away quietly in attics or underneath beds. Of nostalgia cutting through years and layers of practiced indifference. She’s all and none at the same time, Seungwan thinks.

“You never really told me what color my eyes were.” she says softly, looking at Seungwan with a sad smile.

The words tugged at her, it almost felt like an accusation but Seungwan knew it was anything but that. She reaches out to tuck stray brown hair behind her ear where Seungwan lingers, tentative touches that burn through skin.

“It changes every time.” Seungwan whispers back.

Her chuckle is light and feathery, a burst of pink that makes Seungwan smile. 

“I like it best when we’re underneath the sun,” she nudges closer, brushing the tips of her nose against hers, “it’s warm, honey and sage that glow. It’s a cup of hot chocolate, the scent of morning, and the way the sun seeps in through blinds and how it tickles you awake.”

Seungwan closes her eyes and hears her little hum, a quick draw of breath she chases down with a chaste kiss on the lips. 

“Your eyes, they’re…” Seungwan wonders if she sees  _ it.  _ If it ever leaks out sometimes. She never really said it out loud but it’s there, always there, and Seungwan hopes that it’s evident enough. Strong enough. “They’re home Joohyun.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

Seungwan pulls her closer, burying her face in the crook of her neck. Joohyun’s warmth keeps her grounded and she reaches out to cup Joohyun’s cheek where she draws out little circles and lines that don’t make sense. It’s never enough. Seungwan wants to be closer.

“You can  _ stay _ .” she breathes against skin, sealing them with a kiss. Marking her.

It’s something that’s left unanswered and Seungwan knows and hates it all together. She tries to stop herself but the tears are already there and she’s breaking into a thousand pieces that’s cutting them both. 

“I love you.”

* * *

**I. INIZIO**

**(Beginning)**

**https://youtu.be/l0GN40EL1VU**

It’s hard not to stare, it’s not like she’s being blatant about it or rude. There’s just something in the way the woman was avoiding her eyes. The way she’s tipping the worn out baseball cap to cover most of her face, wisps of brown hair peeking out–that’s tugging at Seungwan’s curiosity. Theirs is a quaint little town, frequented mostly by people who were looking to take a break from the callousness of the city and hoping it brings a sense of peace to their otherwise rough life. They were pretty straightforward about it and to have someone hide behind a mask and a cap; feels just a little off and sketchy, and shouldn’t that be enough reason why?

She places the moleskin journal and a little guidebook on the counter gently, fingers tapping on the wood in a steady rhythm that takes most of Seungwan’s attention. 

“Uh, how much do I owe for these?”

Seungwan looks up briefly, catching a hint of brown before it disappears under the shadows of her Blue Jays cap. 

“That'll be $3.99 for both.” 

“Here.” She places a crisp looking $5 bill on the counter, before adding a quiet “keep the change.”

Her voice was low and a little husky, amber; the color of cognac beneath the sun and honey ginger tea that’s wrapping Seungwan with a warmth reminiscent of summer afternoons down by the lake. 

“Uh… are you… are you not going to bag that or?...” 

It makes her flinch and reach for a paper bag beneath the counter out of impulse, “Are you staying or just passing by?” The sudden question takes both of them by surprise.

There’s a stretch of awkward silence that’s drowned out by the ringing inside Seungwan’s ear. She really wasn’t planning on voicing that out but it seems her mind thinks otherwise, wanting to hear more of her voice. 

“I’m staying for a couple of weeks.”

S he fumbles with the hem of her shirt. The rush of color is stark, cutting through most of her vision. There's comfort in the heat and somehow it pushes more words out of her . 

“Kind of like a retreat?” She takes her time packaging the journal and book, wanting to drag the conversation as long as she could, liking the way the question made her catch soft brown eyes looking at her in confusion, “A lot of people come by for that particular reason. You know… escape and uhh finding oneself?” she shrugs, smiling. 

“Yeah, I guess you can call it that.” There’s a tinge of powder baby blue before it’s drowned out by the same warm amber, and shy eyes looking away. 

“Well, I hope you enjoy your stay,” Seungwan tries again, smiling to hide the obvious awkwardness that’s filling the air between them while pushing the rims of her glasses in place with her fingers. “You should uh, you should try checking out the sea sometime. It’s nice this time of the year if you’re looking for some… alone time or something.” 

She gives Seungwan a nod, hugging the paper bag close to her chest while she goes for the bookshop’s door. 

Seungwan slumps against the counter with an audible sigh.  _ So much for making small talk.  _

* * *

It’s half past six when Seungwan finds herself walking home, skipping puddles and enjoying the light crunch of leaves that tickle her sight with light shades of green. She’s taken the same trail off the beaten path countless times from work, when she wants to keep to herself and be more in tune with her thoughts, but right now she’d rather not have any of those. Anything but  _ those.  _

She kicks a loose stone that gets lost somewhere in front of her, rustling leaves that momentarily paint her vision with a faded off orange. Something about it reminded her of the burst of warmth from  _ her  _ voice and it almost threw Seungwan off-balance. 

“Now’s really not the time to be thinking of strangers' dear brain.” 

Whispered words have a tendency to be amplified in this part of the woods and Seungwan shakes her head a little too vigorously in the hopes it shakes away any lingering thoughts of amber, and soft brown eyes that looked like there was more to it than just the softness she saw. Something about it felt… familiar and if she allows herself to dwell on it longer than she should, she knows she’ll just hate how weird it’s going to make her feel. 

It was one thing to find someone’s voice beautiful and warm, and another thing to find herself drawn to it so much that the mere thought of it was bathing her with a warmth she’s already missing.

_ Well, this is certainly something new.  _

* * *

First thing Seungwan realizes the moment she steps into the house is another pair of shoes by the door and the sweet scent of her mother’s baking in the air. Not that that’s something that doesn’t happen often lately; the baking, and unknown pair of shoes by the door. It’s more of the thought she’ll probably spend weeks with a  _ stranger _ … Or  _ strangers  _ if fate was in the mood of being a douche to her. Just a few of the perks she gets living in a house leasing space to transient travelers;  _ yaaaay, not.  _

Seungwan’s finding her decision to move out into the family’s retreat estate that serves as a for-rent house to travelers and tourists to be more and more of a bad idea. Sure it works when the months are getting colder and the business is running slow; she gets to have the whole house to herself. But it could get really disappointing fast… like today, just last week she was hoping to get some work done on her special project, alone. Now.. now she thinks it’ll stay that way,  _ a hope.  _

“Hey mom, I’m home! I smell brownies! Are you in the kitchen?” her voice bounces off wooden walls masking the clink of keys she throws on the entryway holder. 

“Yup! Come by here a sec!”

She drags her way over, taking her scarf off before she peeks through the open door.

“Hey, anything I can do to help?” 

There’s a plate of freshly baked brownies on the kitchen counter that looked rather welcoming but obviously untouched. 

"Seungwan, thank God. I have to run to the store to get supplies, can you show Joohyun here to her room?"

Seungwan steals a quick glance over at the woman standing behind her mother.

“Sure, is she taking the–”

“The room just below yours, yes.” 

She usually asks a couple of questions right after,  _ would you like me to cook dinner for her? Is there something else I can do to make the stay more welcome? Does she have her set of keys already?;  _ questions that should give Seungwan a much clearer picture of the arrangements for the tenant but she doesn’t. If she wants to be very specific, then she should admit that she can’t. Not at this very moment, anyways. 

“I really have to go dear, there should be enough in the fridge for a light dinner for you and Joohyun tonight. I’ll come by tomorrow to bring more groceries and you could do the rest when you’re free to stock up for the month,” her mother flitted across the kitchen, grabbing the car keys she left right by the plate of brownies and giving her and Joohyun a quick smile before rushing off towards the door. “Call me if you need anything, okay?” 

  
“Yeah! Sure!” She's answered by a momentary thud from the door. 

The tenant (or should she call her Joohyun now?) shuffled, and it takes Seungwan a couple of seconds to meet her gaze and be met with stoic brown eyes and an almost non-existent smile. Seungwan thinks if it weren't for the ends of her lips perking up, she would've thought she looked rather annoyed.  _ Or maybe she is.  _

"So… uh, Joohyun right?" 

She looks into Seungwan's eyes, holding her gaze and nodding slowly and deliberately. 

"Let me help you with your bags and I'll show you your room. I'm not sure if mom told you, but you can do anything with it as you please; that includes decorations and any additional furniture, if you plan on staying longer really. Anything's fine as long as you bring them home with you when you decide to end the lease and uh… I guess don't destroy anything… which I highly doubt you'll do. Anyways, bags?" 

Seungwan has a habit of rambling off, words chasing after words and if she isn't careful sometimes most of them blend together and she ends up breathless and whoever she's talking to is left confused. Which she figures Joohyun might be, because she's awfully silent. 

"Uh… would you like to do something else then? before seeing the room? Or—" 

"No, It's fine." 

Seungwan doesn't know how but she manages to stumble while standing still. It's crazy, really. 

"Wha–what did you say?" 

Joohyun's looking at her with a raised brow, somewhere along she quirks her lips in an unamused smile that manages to make Seungwan squirm, her gaze heavy and every bit annoyed. 

"It's fine. Most of my stuff isn't arriving till tomorrow." 

Seungwan's breath hitches, a burst of amber overshadows her vision. It comes in waves and she feels the warmth of the hearth and the scent of cedarwood all over. 

The familiarity hitting her hard and all at once.

"Uhh… yeah?" 

Seungwan feels the rush of heat on her cheeks and wonders if she can brush it off as being cold. "So you decided to stay?" Seungwan's already fumbling for the keys labeled "3" she keeps by the kitchen door. 

She doesn't get an answer. Only feels Joohyun's eyes on her back and a subtle sigh that sounds frustrated rather than relieved. 

"Follow me." Seungwan motions for the door, catching tired eyes that watched her as she opened the kitchen door, "your room isn't far down the hallway here." 

Seungwan tries not to overthink things. It never gets her anywhere but disappointment, and sometimes when she manages to overindulge in it then comes a huge dose of embarrassment. 

They reach a door engraved with a 3 at the end of a narrow hallway that she opens with the key before glancing back at Joohyun with a smile. 

"Here, this is your key." Seungwan drops it into her open palm, other hand pushing the door open. "There's clean sheets already and you get your own bathroom inside. I suggest you turn the heater on half an hour in advance since we're getting closer to winter season and it's uh… kind of wonky like that but it does the trick." Seungwan chuckles at herself. "Anyways, I believe there's a new set of toiletries inside the bathroom, of course. I'll probably have dinner ready by…seven. If that works for you?" 

Joohyun nods once before moving past her to get a better view of the room. 

"So… uhm… I guess I'll leave you to it then? Unless you have questions for me?" 

Seungwan gives her a warm smile, mind running off with twenty theories at once as to why she's so guarded and silent. 

"Can I cook?" 

It takes a while for Seungwan to process the question, her whole self overwhelmed by the burst of sensation at every word. 

"Su-sure, I'll probably go for groceries tomorrow and you can tell me what you need?" 

"Yeah, that's fine." 

Seungwan nods along, careful not to stray too much in the color she sees.  It swirls around her as they talk, a mesmerizing crystalline orange hanging behind her eyelids with every blink.

"You, uh...finally decided to stay?" Seungwan tries again, remembering Joohyun never getting to answer that question. 

"I'm not sure I understand." There's no animosity in her voice, just plain curiosity that drips with warm golden honey. 

"Oh, uh… didn't you pass by the bookshop this afternoon?" Seungwan  It swirls around her as they talk, a mesmerizing crystalline orange hanging behind her eyelids with every blink. "You, uh… bought a journal if I remember correctly?" 

There's a brief flash of recognition in her face that's quickly replaced with a raised eyebrow that manages to kick Seungwan's sense into explaining herself, realizing how stalkerish that might have sounded. 

"Oh no no no... it's not what you think!" Hand quick to facepalm herself, "I was the one who sold you the journal and uhh…" 

"How'd you recognize me?" 

The question took her aback, quick to want to point out that she remembers her… the curious almost accusatory look on her face makes Seungwan stammer, realizing she had half her face covered with a mask and a hat that took care of the other.  _ Definitely something to make someone seem unrecognizable.  _

"It's your voice…" Seungwan admits, almost whispers. "I remember your voice." 

There's a pained look that Seungwan doesn't miss before she has the same stoic expression that made the atmosphere a little too uncomfortable. Seungwan waits, awkwardly standing by the door to hear what she has to say about it. Partly wanting for Joohyun to burst into recognition also and maybe then it wouldn't seem like Seungwan was trying to impose herself. 

"Look, I appreciate you showing me the room and letting me know everything that needs to be known, but I'm very tired and would like to rest now." 

It's subtle but pronounced enough for Seungwan to get it. She's unwelcome at the moment and she's burning with embarrassment as she looks away to nod. Stepping back to allow Joohyun to close the door to her face. 

_ Well… so much for making small talk the second time around.  _

She lets out the sigh she'd been holding in and heads for the stairs to her room. Three more hours till dinner. 

* * *

Seungwan's staring at the pictures spread out on her computer screen, various shots of the shops downtown during closing time. Orange hue touching shades of gray. She sorts them out one by one, taking a couple of minutes to go over every detail and move ones she likes best to a folder she named "Portfolio". Sinatra's voice sends spurts of midnight blue throughout, almost blending with the colors on the photos. She used to get headaches all the time, but she's learned to tune out most of it while she works, nodding along to being flown to the moon. 

Despite her want of being buried in work to forget the day, she's drawn into thinking of how she manages to mess things up even when she's trying her best not to. Even though most of it is probably just in her head. 

_ Joohyun walked in a couple of minutes to seven, hands clasped tightly that Seungwan reached over to turn up the heater out of impulse.  _

_ "How's everything?" Seungwan manages to ask out of surprise and partly out of worry.  _

_ "Good." She's standing awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen, regarding Seungwan and her pan in the middle of the air with a curious tilt of her head.  _

_ "I— I've run out of supplies this morning, I guess mom already mentioned that and I sorta did too this afternoon but, uh… yeah. I hope you're fine with eating sauteed veggies and a scrambled egg?"  _

_ "Can I have dinner in my room?"  _

_ She lost count or maybe she just doesn't want to acknowledge the number of times she'd look back and forth from the sizzling mixed veggies she had on the pan and on Joohyun's eyes.  _

_ "Sure, that's... that's fine I guess."  _

_ She makes her a plate.  _

_ Joohyun ducks her head, mumbling a thank you.  _

_ And in three minutes Seungwan's eating dinner alone and thinks that maybe strangers weren't such a bad thing, if only they didn't hate her guts.  _

Yes, Seungwan thinks that may just be the case. Even if deep down there's a nagging voice that's telling her it's stupid to think someone wanting privacy during dinner equates to them hating her existence. In Seungwan's mind, it just doesn't make sense at all. 

There's traces of powdery yellow over midnight blue and she whips her head over to the player, brows furrowed in concentration. Sinatra had always been midnight blue to her. 

It starts off slow, branching out and creeping in. Seungwan almost drops her camera that she's disconnecting from her laptop when it pops into a solid light yellow that takes her breath away. She hears traces of words but can't make them out. She leaves the camera on her desk and follows the tiny pinpricks that grew in intensity. Everything feels muffled. Like she's covered in haze and fog that she's trying to claw out of.

It's silly. 

Seungwan knows it is, but just can't help it. 

She stares at the floorboards, ponders on it a bit before dropping to her knees and curiously resting her ear against the cold worn out wood. 

She almost pulls back, the sensation too overwhelming that she barely even understands a word when her vision's filled with an explosion of color. It's the first ray of sunlight at dawn. The scent of newly bloomed flowers, and even though it's a different color altogether ... it's the same warmth draped over her as the amber of that morning. Seungwan's reminded of a hug she's never had, of dancing barefoot in grass and sleeping beneath the shades of trees.

Seungwan thinks it's unfair; amber and light yellow from someone so faded off in blue. 

  
  



	2. Le Onde (The Waves)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For anyone interested I made a trailer-ish FMV for the whole fic here: https://youtu.be/6-zcNYLHsy0

* * *

* * *

Waking up hasn’t been this confusing of a feeling, or — _ smothering.  _

Like she’s unaware of something she lost and it makes her want to bury her head into the pillows to try and drown out the choking sensation from her heart beating louder than usual, and the weird heaviness that weighs in her chest right after. Like a bitter aftertaste. Seungwan tries not to think much about last night, pushing most of everything to the back of her mind or drowning it with something else that’s less invasive. It doesn’t do much, of course. She knew that right from the start, but she figures it doesn’t hurt to try either. 

Sunlight pours in through cracks from her blinds and it spreads out on the wooden floor like a drawing made up of yellow and white and reddish orange tinges that find their way meshing with the browns of the wood, the closer they get to her bed. She likes tracing them with her eyes, because at one point she figured it’s like painting with the sun, her floor the canvas, and sunlight being little strokes that go from one end to the next. It should’ve made her feel better. It usually does, but they look so much like the colors she saw last night and that’s all it took to be reminded of comfortable winter nights by an open fireplace. 

It’s both foreign and familiar, the warmth that creeps up. Touching her skin. Boundaries between the two blurring and she couldn’t tell if it’s guilt or embarrassment that’s keeping her from enjoying the sensation. 

Not when they’re not too different from each other. Maybe it's both. 

Seungwan moves closer to the edge of her bed, holding out her arm to let the light draw patterns on her skin, tracing them with her fingers again and again. Skin on skin, until the motion makes her feel calmer, and the thuds settle into quiet murmurs. 

Somehow. it’s enough to get her breathing evenly again. 

* * *

“Mom, I don’t think you understand. I want to, trust me… I do,” Seungwan runs her hands through her hair for the nth time, “it’s just, I don't think she'd appreciate it. She doesn’t seem to be the kind of person who likes,” She’s trying her best not to let the tightness in her voice be more evident as it is. “ _ company.” _

“Nonsense, you haven’t tried talking to her about it yet.”

“It’s not that—”

“Look, Seungwan, just ask her about it okay? She’ll either say yes or no.” 

She could almost see her mother’s furrowed brows and that makes her sink into the chair even more. Obviously it isn’t such a good idea to voice out her thoughts about this. Not when she knows her mother has already decided anyway. 

“This isn’t a good idea.” she mutters under her breath, pinching the bridge of her nose to stave off the beginnings of a headache. 

She doesn’t intend for her mother to hear it over speaker phone but she manages to, “I think it’s a good idea. She’s new, a guidebook can only do so much.” Her mother’s voice flits through the kitchen over the crack of static. “And she insists on paying more for the lodging, it’s the least we can do.”

Seungwan doesn’t bother answering, fingers picking on the edge of the kitchen table. Her mother can get pretty insistent and she doesn’t have the heart to refuse anyway. She wonders how she’ll manage to pull this off without the woman hating her even more. She probably did enough damage yesterday.

“Seungwan?”

“I’m here.” 

If her mother hears the sigh in her voice, she doesn’t bring it up. 

“I have to go, your dad wants to say hi but he’s in a hurry. You take care, okay?”  There's a pause on the other end, only static coming through the line until her mother speaks again “And Seungwan?”

“Hmm?”

“At least try, yeah?” 

Seungwan sees the sickly looking pale lilac burst through from the side and the hitch in her mother’s voice that would have been a pat on her back if she were there with her. She hears the unsaid words and manages to chuckle at the thought of her mother being overly worried over a tenant.

“Yeah, I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry about it too much.” 

Her mother’s laughter rings out before she hears the click on the line. 

She stares at the door for a couple of minutes, debating if she should bring breakfast over or if Joohyun would rather cook hers today. She goes to the fridge and tries to think of something she can make with eggs that isn’t too boring nor extravagant. She’s overthinking everything again. 

_ Overthinking over overthinking.  _

_ Whatever that means.  _

She runs her hand through her hair, momentarily settling on drawing out lines against her temples to keep herself grounded enough to think through the whole situation. On one hand she knows it's the best way to get yourself acquainted with the island; some things are better off experienced than read, and if there's any truth to Joohyun paying more— then her mother's right. It's the  _ least _ she could do. On the other hand, as much as she looks forward to the thought of spending more time with her, Seungwan doesn't trust herself. She knows one way or another she'll mess it up somehow. 

For a good minute she considers just standing there, fridge door open, and looking up at the kitchen ceiling. Trying to count the shadows that hover against the gray paint. Muttering a quick  _ fuck it _ before grabbing avocadoes, some bread and the last remaining pair of eggs from the fridge.

_ She's probably hungry.  _

Joohyun would have to deal with her own breakfast some other time. 

* * *

Seungwan thinks it’s stupid to be a mess of bundled emotions and even more stupid to try and make sense of it. 

She’d been standing in front of Joohyun’s room for a couple of minutes now and having her hand go from wanting to knock, to dropping it to her side, to having it suspended mid air, and back to fiddling with the edge of the plate isn't helping much either. 

Of course, she already had this practiced in mind and what could possibly go wrong, right? 

The soft knocks on the hardwood door get drowned out by shuffling of feet on the other side, and if anything, Seungwan wanted to bolt right then and there if it weren’t for curious sleep-laced brown eyes peeking through the tiny crack keeping her in place. 

_ Joohyun looks absolutely beautiful.  _

It’s the first thought that settles, and she can’t help but take in everything all at once. There’s a gentleness in Joohyun’s features, eyelashes fluttering and alabaster skin that reminds Seungwan of winter. 

“I—” She finds it hard to look away, “I cooked breakfast. I hope you don’t mind? I mean… you asked if you could cook and I wasn’t sure if you wanted to this morning but, you know…” Seungwan should learn to breathe in between words or maybe she’s better off not talking at all. “I .. I figured you needed to rest and went ahead and made you uh…” She catches Joohyun’s subtle glance on the plate, “Avocado toast?” 

Seungwan tries hard not to squirm. She had thought about all possible outcomes for this little stint, and she wasn’t really expecting complete silence from her. Maybe a sigh or two at most, but definitely not the sound of her own thoughts bouncing off of each other and her awkward foot tapping against the floor.

Or maybe she  _ did _ , and just didn’t want to acknowledge it at all. 

“Thank you.” 

Seungwan masks her surprise over Joohyun’s response by shrugging it off with a small smile but knows the heat on her cheeks is probably a dead giveaway already. 

“You, you don’t mind?” She blurts out.

Joohyun merely shakes her head and moves to take the plate from her. 

“No.” 

Seungwan likes how her voice is a clearer amber, not imbued with any of the darker undertones, more transparent. Like honey left under the sun. Drawing ripples of golden brown against the earth with the fresh scent of rain on grass. The same softness is reflected on her eyes, even if it’s mostly out of grogginess. She didn’t get that much privilege at all yesterday to look at Joohyun’s face, and she’s trying her best to try and capture everything before it gets lost into the same practiced look of nonchalance that hides most of the reason she came here for. 

“Hey,” she says a little too hastily, “Mom, she uh… She told me you were planning on going around the island today and I wa—” 

Joohyun’s eyelashes flutter, like she has just woken up for the second time today. If Seungwan looked closer it might’ve even looked like she was offended.

“What?” 

Tinges of a darker pink shoots into view. Something that tugs around the corners and pulls at Seungwan to take a small step back. A little distance to keep Joohyun from closing off. 

“I was wondering if you’d let me show you around?” Seungwan could feel the heat on her neck, and she thinks Joohyun’s eyes are the most transparent thing about her, aside from her voice. “I mean, if you don’t mind of course. I just thought that maybe I could do a much better job at it than an outdated guidebook.” 

Joohyun lets out an exasperated sigh, and Seungwan’s already quick to rebut that it’s fine if she doesn’t want to. She understands how important it can be for people to get some sort of time for themselves. Have that personal space.

Except she stumbles over a faint “Uhm”. A huge part of her wants to get to know Joohyun more, and maybe have a go at being friends with the person staying over for an indefinite amount of time. See what it’s like to have her smile, and see that painted across her pretty brown eyes, maybe even have her laugh, so she ends up muttering; “I’ll make it worth your time.” instead. 

A slight frown marks Joohyun’s forehead and it makes Seungwan want to reach out and linger over skin to gently massage it away but ends up saying things she hopes she won’t regret later on.

“Or… it’s fine if you don’t want to.” Seungwan continues, turning her gaze over to Joohyun’s fingers wrapped around the edge of the plate and finding it captivating. 

“Don’t you have work to worry about today?” The answer comes a few seconds after, and she chuckles at the thought of normalcy it brings to the conversation. 

“Yeah,” She gives Joohyun a huge grin and it almost falls away when she sees the unamused expression from yesterday taking over the softness from this morning, “But it’s three hours from now so I have a lot of time to kill.” 

She gets a slight nod in response. 

“Look, really it’s fine if you don’t want to. I can see how this can be a bit imposing.” 

“Okay then, I’ll see you in half an hour.”

They managed to say at the same time and Seungwan almost didn’t catch it.

_ Almost.  _

“What? I mean, you will?”

“Sure.” Joohyun tucks loose hair behind her ear and Seungwan follows the movement, watching her fingers settle behind her neck for a couple of seconds. “I’ll finish breakfast.” 

She tries to laugh away the growing jitters, hoping they don’t leak out as much. “I’ll wait for you in the kitchen then.” 

“Thank you Seungwan.”

A different kind of fire courses through her at the mention of her name. A myriad of liquid honey and almost saccharine amber shoots soothing headiness into every fiber of her body that she shudders as it trails through her skin. She gets thrown off her orbit, muttering something unintelligible back because what the fuck is  _ composure?  _ The scent of dawn overshadows everything, a ghost touch on her cheeks that she leans into, eyes closed. She feels Joohyun’s gaze on her grow heavy, and she tries a weak attempt at a smile to get her to stop. 

And she does, thankful that she takes it as a good enough answer, closing the door softly and leaving Seungwan with traces of washed out pink and honey. Sending waves of sweetness that cling to the back of her throat and falling away as quickly as they came. 

She soaks it in, just this once, she tells herself as a kind of promise. 

_ Just this once. _

* * *

Seungwan wonders how she managed to survive this far, rambling off mostly to herself.

They’ve walked past the town’s only functional grocery store where everyone knew each other and the school by the field that’s getting less and less students each year because obviously the city’s a better choice but it’s always nice to have something to call your own. The cinema that’s a month behind the newest release because the owner never bothers to keep track of them and finds crossing through to the city something he’d rather not do. 

She thought of ways to make them seem more interesting. Granted there’s not much to be proud of in this island, this realization weighed heavily the longer they both spent walking around town. Except that’s exactly what drew people in; it’s quiet and boring and uneventful. A far cry from the city’s fast paced life where something is always happening and where even strangers can become a little too intrusive of one’s space even if they didn’t mean to. Here, she knows it’ll take far more than just new faces along their usual crowd for people to even care.. 

And maybe she should stop trying to paint them as something they’re not. 

She glances over at Joohyun, wanting to ask if she’s fine. She’d been subtly rubbing her hands together since they left the vicinity of the school, and burying them deeply into the pockets of her coat. 

“I’m sure you weren’t expecting the island to be this small?” she asks instead. 

Seungwan tries not to laugh at the comical way her eyes widen at the sudden need for conversation, and the subtle flinch she tries to shake off with a confused look.

She sort of expected it but she can’t hide the disappointment when Joohyun merely shakes her head in response, and decides it’s probably better if she left Joohyun to her thoughts. Whatever those may be. She wasn’t being subtle at checking her phone every five minutes and nodding distractedly at every trivia Seungwan’s managed to think of about the places they’ve visited that wasn’t in the guide book. Not that she was even hoping she’d get anything out of her. 

“Will you be home at around five in the afternoon?” Joohyun’s voice is soft and has a tendency to drift off into the wind, and with the mask covering half her face Seungwan could barely hear her. 

The question gets Seungwan’s attention though, and she can’t help but wonder what she means by it, “I get off work at six on weekdays.” she says, partly hoping it gets Joohyun to talk. “Do you need me for anything?” Seungwan tries again, “Is it the room? Is it not warm enough? I can have the heaters checked again, if that’s the issue.”

Joohyun gives her a quick glance, something more passing, before she turns away again. She was expecting Joohyun to say something else. Put more context into her want to know if she’ll be there because she likes to assume about things, and her assumptions were never really on point and gets her into questionable situations she’d rather avoid. 

“I have a delivery around that time.” Joohyun says, it flutters a flurry of baby pink so soft it makes Seungwan hum in return, reminded of fluffy dogs and cozy nuzzles against necks. Seungwan almost shivers at the softness of it, feeling the touch through the sleeves of her plaid shirt. 

“Oh, are you worried it won't be delivered on time? I know the local delivery guy; Junhui, he’s always never late so I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“No. I wanted to know if it’s okay and I wanted to be the one to receive them.”

“You shouldn’t.” They pass by an ice cream shop that Seungwan tucks into memory, maybe take Joohyun there some other time.  _ If she gets to, of course.  _ “I mean, you shouldn’t be worried about the delivery. Mom doesn’t mind, I don’t either. It’s basically your home for the time being, so you can do whatever you want.” She gives Joohyun a smile, “and we don’t really meddle when it comes to personal stuff so even if I was home I’d still have you receive and sign them once it arrives”

“Okay then.”

They both fall into a certain kind of silence that isn’t as awkward as before but still holds as much presence. Lingering just so that Seungwan can’t help but watch the subtle nuances in Joohyun’s brows and wonder what it would be like if the woman was a lot less guarded. She continues to steal glances at her phone and by the time they’ve reached the beach, Seungwan can’t unthink how beautiful she is despite having most of her face hidden. She didn’t mean to spend so much time looking, but Joohyun’s as captivating as the first swirl of colors she remembers seeing when she was young. She finds it hard to look away and yet finds it equally hard to look at her too. Afraid that the longer she does, the more transparent she becomes. 

“Is everything okay?” she finally asks, "you've been tense for a while now." 

Joohyun stalls a bit, "Yeah, I'm fine." 

Waves of delft blue pools into Seungwan's vision. It tickles the tips of her nose, cold and fleeting. Like she's wading through waves constantly retreating and crashing against her ankles. It isn't noticeable, the harshness in her soft voice feels more like a drop of water. For a while it takes her to empty streets with flickering street lights. 

"Everything going well with your delivery?" 

Joohyun sighs, pulling off her mask to take a deep breath and right brow shooting up impulsively. "I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just luggage." She waits for Joohyun to say more but by now she knows that's the most she'll get. 

The blue is much stronger now, drowning her in waves. It feels far away, like the remnants of a dream when you wake up barely remembering. Most of it falling away between the spaces of your fingers, and the more you chase it the more it fades. 

Joohyun honestly feels like one; a fading dream. 

Seungwan doesn’t push, allowing them to get back to the silence that they’re both better at. She tries and searches for anything that might give away whatever it is that’s bothering Joohyun because the blue is suffocating, draping around and all over like a cold wet blanket she can’t pull away from. 

But all she sees is that look of indifference, she defaults to. 

She trains her gaze towards the horizon, ignoring most of the sensations. Mulling over the idea until it becomes a hum inside her head. It’s a long shot, she knows but she can’t help not trying. To reach out. It’s not like her—is what she says over and over inside her head. It’s not like her to not try and help but she knows it’s something else. 

With Joohyun, it’s something else and it scares her a little because she’s practically a stranger.

“There’s one other place I want to show you.” she says softly, "It's the last stop we have on this little tour." 

Seungwan wonders why, and how a voice could turn so many things around. Fling her out of orbit and back again all at once. 

* * *

They’re on a cliff overlooking the sea, tucked away at the island’s south end. 

There’s nothing particularly spectacular about it, it’s just a cliff and the expansive sea that’s stretched off in front of them. She likes watching how the waves roll on top of each other, crashing and molding. It’s both chaos and tranquility finding a sense of balance between them, and how despite everything they meld perfectly together.

“There’s this weird thing going on in this island. We never get as much sun here, and everything feels like it’s been draped with a blanket of muted blue.” Seungwan takes in the scene in front of her, it might not seem like it but she loves this very much. The subtleness of the ever changing colors of water against a faded off sky. “or… in some days it could go as bad as gray. Like it’s going to rain but it never does. I think it’s the clouds and they have a habit of covering the sun…”

Seungwan takes a quick glance and sees nothing but the same stoic unreadable expression on her face. She takes a deep breath but carries on anyway, it’s not like she’s losing much out of telling Joohyun neat stuff about their town. 

“But if you come up here at five in the morning? The clouds over the horizon would always.. Always give way to the sun when it’s rising, right? And if you come here to watch it, just over there.” Seungwan looks back at her and grins, pointing at a certain spot at the far off sky now covered with clouds, “the whole sky looks bathed in sunlight and it’s the most beautiful thing. The whole island looks fresh and green and just so new, you know?” The breeze kept playing with Joohyun’s hair, almost as if it’s like water drawing out wisps of it across her face. Seungwan finds herself breathless again, and she thinks it’s becoming more like an instinctual habit with Joohyun. “When you’re up for it some time, we can go watch it.” She says out loud. 

There’s a slight crease on the corners of her lips that Seungwan doesn’t miss, which makes her think that Joohyun almost smiled, almost. If only she’d kept the last part of that sentence to herself she could’ve sworn it would’ve broken free. 

“Or… you know, you can. On your own.” Seungwan looks away, focusing on the grass beneath her shoes, “I can come with you...if, if you want some company. Only if you want some company. It’s not like I’m saying you sh–”

“Yeah, I can go try it out some time.” there’s something wistful about it, Seungwan thinks. How Joohyun looks at the sea with a kind of longing and confusion in her eyes. Likes she’s trying so hard to understand and see whatever Seungwan’s trying to show her and eventually giving up at it. “I’m tired, can we go back? You have work and I need to take care of some things''

“Can I walk with you back? The book shop’s along the way” 

Seungwan’s hoping she’d say no, so to have Joohyun nod along takes her by surprise, “I promise I won’t talk as much.”

“You already are.” she deadpans. 

It’s the impassiveness that gets Seungwan laughing even more, “I guess I am.”

* * *

“You’re late.” Seungwan almost bumps into the shelf of bestsellers while pocketing the keys to the shop, “and still as clumsy as ever.” 

“Yeri? What are you doing here and how did you—?”

  
  


“You forgot I managed to steal the keys away from you last year and made a duplicate,” she holds a set of keys, dangling it in the air in front of Seungwan’s shocked face. “And I should be the one asking the questions here, you were supposed to open an hour ago?”

Yeri walks towards the counter, leaving Seungwan to nurse her knee. 

“About that…”

“Yup,” Yeri drags the word, making it pop and sending a flurry of violet everywhere, “does dad know how you’re dragging his business to bankruptcy?”

“What? No?! I just, I got caught up in something important.” 

There’s something different in the way Yeri’s looking at her, like she’s privy to something so obvious that Seungwan’s too oblivious to notice.

“Is _ something important _ , the lovely lady you’ve been walking around town with?” 

Seungwan manages to fumble with the shelf  “Of course it is,” Seungwan tries not to give her the satisfaction of an answer, turning away to keep her reddening face from Yeri’s sight. “Say, unnie?”

“Hmm?”

“She looks familiar.”

It’s not much but it gets Seungwan’s attention, the heat from her cheeks crawling to her ears, she’s not expecting to have Yeri look rather serious than her usual mischievous self. 

“What do you mean?”

“Who is she?”

“I asked first.” 

“Yeah? Well I’m sure dad would love to hear how his star employee would rather go on a date with a beautiful stranger rather than do what she was paid to do.” Yeri grins, knowing how Seungwan doesn’t really have a choice now. 

“Oh come on! Does he even know you’re here? You’re supposed to be at Uni.”

“He already knows I’m here, you’re not answering the question.” 

Seungwan lets out a sigh, Yeri seems to carry an uncanny knack for winning arguments. The shop owner’s daughter carries a natural affinity for making people admit to things they shouldn’t and maybe that’s why she finds herself studying law at a university somewhere in the city. It also doesn’t help Seungwan’s case when they’ve known each other since they were kids and that they’re practically like sisters. Yeri takes one look at her and for some reason manages to read through her thoughts; maybe even knows her more than her best friend does. 

“She’s a new tenant.” Yeri answers her own question, trying to gauge Seungwan’s reaction.

“Yeah, and what about it? I was just walking her around town, I don’t understand your obsession with this.”

“You really don’t see the similarities?”

Seungwan furrows her brow, getting more confused by the second. “What similarities?” 

“Wait, I can’t be imagining stuff. Are you sure you don’t see the similarities at all? I mean they have the same eyes and when she pulled her mask down for a moment—”

“Yeri.” She says with finality, she rarely ever used her unnie tone because it never really helped her that much except garner laughs and more teasing from the younger woman but Seungwan’s already too tired and it isn’t even lunchtime yet. “Just spit it out,”

“You should really be more active on social media,  _ unnie.”  _ a hint of amusement in her voice. “Or buy a damn television if you insist on being so old school.” Seungwan scoffs, making her laugh. “Geez, you’re so impatient. All I’m saying is that she looks exactly like that famous actress? They have the same eyes,” Yeri waits for a second more, and shakes her head the moment she realizes there’s absolutely no point in delaying it any further. “Nation’s sweetheart, Irene.”

The name doesn’t register, granted she’s never the type of person to be into whatever’s trendy these days. She pulls her phone out and googles the name and almost drops it, Yeri's laughter coloring her vision with a pretty shade of lavender, almost blurring out the pic but not the same honey brown staring back at her. 

There staring back at her from the first picture off of the results page is Joohyun, only she's smiling.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very late update because to write these days is a huge struggle, but I'm missing the parents very much. Hope everyone's having a great weekend so far, stay safe ♥

**Author's Note:**

> Anything related to synesthesia was read through from countless articles and experiences from people who have it; if I have written anything about it that seems off, please call me out so I can correct. Thank you very much :)♥
> 
> Also this is originally a piece I thought of for Wenrene, written for Jenlisa in the 1st chapter and decided (after countless weeks of thinking) that it is for Wenrene. So if I ever post the same thing for Jenlisa someday on my other account; mayhaps it will be written differently. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope everyone has a great weekend ahead of them. Stay safe. ♥


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